Staged dual fuel radial nozzle with radial liquid fuel distributor

Abstract

A nozzle includes a nozzle body defining a longitudinal axis and including a primary distributor and a secondary distributor. The primary distributor has an inner air passage fed by a radial swirler; a first fuel circuit radially outboard from the inner air passage with respect to the longitudinal axis; a second fuel circuit radially outboard from the first fuel circuit with respect to the longitudinal axis, wherein each of the first fuel circuit and the second fuel circuit extends from a respective fuel circuit inlet to a respective annular fuel circuit outlet; and an outer air passage defined between a fuel circuit outer wall and an outer air passage wall, wherein the outer air passage is a converging non-swirling outer air passage. The secondary distributor similar to the primary distributor is downstream of the primary distributor with respect to the longitudinal axis.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A nozzle comprising:
 a nozzle body defining a longitudinal axis and including:
 a primary distributor having:
 a first radial swirler, 
 an inner air passage fed by the first radial swirler, 
 a first fuel circuit radially outboard from the inner air passage with respect to the longitudinal axis, 
 a second fuel circuit radially outboard from the first fuel circuit with respect to the longitudinal axis, wherein each of the first fuel circuit and the second fuel circuit extends from a respective fuel circuit inlet to a respective annular fuel circuit outlet, and 
 a first outer air passage defined between a fuel circuit outer wall of the second fuel circuit and an outer air passage wall of the first outer air passage, wherein the first outer air passage is a converging non-swirling outer air passage; and 
 
 a secondary distributor downstream of the primary distributor with respect to the longitudinal axis, the secondary distributor having:
 a second radial swirler feeding into the inner air passage, 
 a third fuel circuit radially outboard from the inner air passage with respect to the longitudinal axis, 
 a fourth fuel circuit radially outboard from the third fuel circuit with respect to the longitudinal axis, wherein each of the third fuel circuit and the fourth fuel circuit extends from a respective fuel circuit inlet to a respective annular fuel circuit outlet, and 
 a second outer air passage defined between a fuel circuit outer wall of the fourth fuel circuit and an outer air passage wall of the second outer air passage, wherein the second outer air passage is a converging non-swirling outer air passage. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The nozzle as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the primary and secondary distributors are separated from one another by a spacer. 
     
     
       3. The nozzle as recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first fuel circuit, the second fuel circuit, the third fuel circuit, or the fourth fuel circuit includes a plurality of helical passages, wherein each helical passage opens tangentially with respect to the respective annular fuel circuit outlet of the at least one of the first fuel circuit, the second fuel circuit, the third fuel circuit, or the fourth fuel circuit. 
     
     
       4. The nozzle as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the helical passages each define a flow exit angle relative to the longitudinal axis of at least 85°. 
     
     
       5. The nozzle as recited in  claim 1 , wherein, the second fuel circuit is defined between a fuel circuit outer wall of the second fuel circuit and a first intermediate fuel circuit wall, and wherein the first fuel circuit is defined between a fuel circuit inner wall of the first fuel circuit and the first intermediate fuel circuit wall, wherein the first intermediate fuel circuit wall is radially outboard from the inner fuel circuit wall of the first fuel circuit with respect to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the outer fuel circuit wall of the second fuel circuit is radially outboard of the first intermediate fuel circuit wall with respect to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the fourth fuel circuit is defined between a fuel circuit outer wall of the fourth fuel circuit and a second intermediate fuel circuit wall, and wherein the third fuel circuit is defined between a fuel circuit inner wall of the third fuel circuit and the second intermediate fuel circuit wall, wherein the second intermediate fuel circuit wall is radially outboard from the inner fuel circuit wall of the third fuel circuit with respect to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the outer fuel circuit wall of the fourth fuel circuit is radially outboard of the second intermediate fuel circuit wall with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       6. The nozzle as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the respective annular fuel circuit outlets of the first and second fuel circuits are separated from one another only by the first intermediate fuel circuit wall, and the respective annular fuel circuit outlets of the third and fourth fuel circuits are separated from one another only by the second intermediate fuel circuit wall. 
     
     
       7. The nozzle as recited in  claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of each of the fuel circuit inner wall of the first fuel circuit, fuel circuit outer wall of the second fuel circuit, and first intermediate fuel circuit wall has a conical shape that converges toward the longitudinal axis, and wherein at least a portion of each of the fuel circuit inner wall of the third fuel circuit, fuel circuit outer wall of the fourth fuel circuit, and second intermediate fuel circuit wall has a conical shape that converges toward the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       8. The nozzle as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the fuel circuit inlet of the first fuel circuit includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart openings for fluid communication with a fuel manifold, and wherein the fuel circuit inlet of the second fuel circuit includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart openings for fluid communication with the fuel manifold, and wherein the fuel circuit inlet of the third fuel circuit includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart openings for fluid communication with the fuel manifold, and wherein the fuel circuit inlet of the fourth fuel circuit includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart openings for fluid communication with the fuel manifold. 
     
     
       9. The nozzle as recited in  claim 8 , wherein, the first radial swirler includes first radial swirl vanes circumferentially spaced apart from one another about an annular inner air inlet, wherein the nozzle body includes a first plurality of tubes, each connecting the circumferentially spaced apart openings of the first fuel circuit and second fuel circuit with the fuel manifold wherein the tubes for both the first and second fuel circuits pass axially through the first radial swirl vanes, and wherein the second radial swirler includes second radial swirl vanes circumferentially spaced apart from one another about an annular inner air inlet, wherein the nozzle body includes a second Plurality of tubes, each connecting the circumferentially spaced apart openings of the third fuel circuit and fourth fuel circuit with the fuel manifold wherein the tubes for both the third and fourth fuel circuits pass axially through the second radial swirl vanes. 
     
     
       10. The nozzle as recited in  claim 9 , wherein a first set of the tubes of the first plurality connect the circumferentially spaced apart openings of the second fuel circuit and passes axially through the first fuel circuit, and wherein a third set of the tubes of the second plurality connect the circumferentially spaced apart openings of the fourth fuel circuit and passes axially through the third fuel circuit. 
     
     
       11. The nozzle as recited in  claim 10 , wherein a second set of the tubes of the first plurality connects the circumferentially spaced apart openings of the first fuel circuit and passes axially through respective first radial swirl vanes of the first radial swirler, and wherein a fourth set of the tubes of the second plurality connects the circumferentially spaced apart openings of the third fuel circuit and passes axially through respective second radial swirl vanes of the second radial swirler. 
     
     
       12. The nozzle recited in  claim 11 , wherein the third and fourth sets of the tubes pass through the first and second radial swirlers, respectively. 
     
     
       13. The nozzle as recited in  claim 11 , wherein each tube in the first set of tubes passes through a respective one of the tubes in the second set of tubes, and wherein each tube in the third set of tubes passes through a respective one of the tubes in the fourth set of tubes. 
     
     
       14. The nozzle as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second distributors are configured for diffusion flame injection without pre-mixing within the nozzle body. 
     
     
       15. The nozzle as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the inner air passage is free from obstructions along the longitudinal axis downstream of the first radial swirler. 
     
     
       16. The nozzle as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the second and fourth fuel circuits are configured for injection of liquid fuel and the first and third fuel circuits are configured for injection of gaseous fuel. 
     
     
       17. The nozzle as recited in  claim 1 , wherein an ignitor is included concentrically and coaxially with the nozzle body in an upstream wall of the nozzle body. 
     
     
       18. A nozzle comprising:
 a nozzle body defining a longitudinal axis and including: 
 a primary distributor including a first airflow passage, a second airflow passage, a first fuel flow circuit, and a second fuel flow circuit, each of the first airflow passage, the second airflow passage, the first fuel flow circuit, and the second fuel flow circuit being defined at least in part between respective pairs of frustoconical walls, the first and second airflow passages and the first and second fuel flow circuits being positioned in order of upstream to downstream, as determined by fluid flowing axially through the nozzle, in the order of the first airflow passage, the first fuel flow circuit, the second fuel flow circuit, and the second airflow passage, the first airflow passage including first radial swirling vanes and being fed air through the first radial swirling vanes, wherein the first radial swirling vanes are configured to swirl air flowing into the first airflow passage, and the second airflow passage including second vanes and being fed air through the second vanes, wherein the second vanes are not configured to swirl air flowing into the second airflow passage; and 
 a secondary distributor downstream of the primary distributor with respect to the longitudinal axis, the secondary distributor including a third airflow passage, a fourth airflow passage, a third fuel flow circuit, and a fourth fuel flow circuit, each of the third airflow passage, the fourth airflow passage, the third fuel flow circuit and the fourth fuel flow circuit being defined at least in part between respective pairs of frustoconical walls, the third and fourth airflow passages and the third and fourth fuel flow circuits each being positioned in order of upstream to downstream, as determined by fluid flowing axially through the nozzle, in the order of the third airflow passage, the third fuel flow circuit, the fourth fuel flow circuit, and the fourth airflow passage, the third airflow passage including third radial swirling vanes and being fed air through the third radial swirling vanes, wherein the third radial swirling vanes are configured to swirl air flowing into the third airflow passage, and the fourth airflow passage including fourth vanes and being fed air through the fourth vanes, wherein the fourth vanes are not configured to swirl air flowing into the fourth airflow passage.